Every year, all the best smartphones and tablets hit Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. This year, we saw an incredible lineup of premium smartphones and one pretty stellar tablet. Here are our favorites from the show: the Samsung Galaxy S7, LG G5, Xiaomi Mi 5, Huawei MateBook, and the Sony Xperia X lineup.
Samsung improved upon the S6 and S6 Edge in nearly every way with the S7 and S7 Edge. Not only are the phones are curvier and more comfortable to hold — especially the S7 Edge — but they’re also water resistant. Quick charging and wireless charging are both supported, and the phones even come with a free Gear VR. Add to that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, sharp Quad HD screens, improved Edge functionality, and an outstanding 16-megapixel camera for low-light pics; and you’ve got a nearly irresistible smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge hands-on impressions
LG took a bold step into the future with its modular G5 smartphone. The bottom of the all-metal phone pops out so you can swap the battery pack or pop in another module. LG made a camera one that includes camera enhancements, a zoom wheel, and an extra battery for your phone. Another module made with Bang & Olufsen provides high-res audio. In all other regards, the G5 is also a high-spec phone with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip, a Quad HD screen, fingerprint sensor, and a dual camera. It’s a true innovative marvel.
Xiaomi is a real up and comer in the mobile space, and it’s Mi 5 Pro is a very impressive phone. It looks like a mix of the OnePlus X and the Galaxy S7 with its metal frame and curved glass or ceramic back. It’s remarkably light and looks sleek and sexy. Aside from its 1080p screen the Mi 5 Pro has all the high-end specs that Samsung and LG pack in their phones, from the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 to the 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage onboard. It’s a real steal at $413, but you can only get it in China for now.
Huawei made its first-ever 2-in-1 tablet PC with full Windows 10 onboard. It’s called the MateBook, and it’s a really sleek, mobile-first tablet with a 12-inch screen. It’s powered by Intel’s 6th-generation Core M processors, 4 or 8GB of RAM, and comes with an SSD up to 512GB in size, too, so you shouldn’t run out of space. The keyboard folio folds right up effortlessly and the stylus is quite cool. It has a laser pointer on one end and two dedicated buttons for controls. Huawei also made a dock for the MateBook with several ports for added connections.
Huawei MateBook hands-on impressions
Sony’s three new Xperia X phones look sharp with aluminum bodies in metallic finishes. The X Performance is the most high-end one with its Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and 3GB of RAM, 5-inch 1080p screen, and 32GB of storage. The X has a Snapdragon 615 chip instead, but that’s the only difference. The XA is more low-end with a 720p screen, MediaTek Helio MT6755 processor, and 2GB of RAM. All three will be available worldwide, including the U.S. We don’t know pricing yet, however.
Sony Xperia X Series hands-on impressions
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.
Samsung’s scandal over its Game Optimizing Service, or GOS, has returned with a bill attached. South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission has tentatively fined the company 20.1 billion won, or about $15.1 million, over gaming claims made for the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Tab S8.
The regulator says Samsung promoted the devices as gaming powerhouses without disclosing that GOS placed preset CPU and GPU limits on certain demanding games. Samsung disputes that conclusion, calling GOS a legitimate way to manage heat.
Apple's next cheaper iPhone could get a brand-new processor while keeping its most stubborn display compromise. Digital Chat Station tips the iPhone 18e for a 2027 release with a 2nm A20 chip and a 6.12-inch OLED screen still limited to 60Hz.
The rumored camera setup includes a single 48MP rear camera and a possible 24MP selfie camera. There's new hardware to consider, but buyers hoping Apple would extend that upgrade generosity to smoother scrolling could be disappointed.